It's about that time of the year to get excited for lacrosse, and make some hot takes for the year. Which could go completely wrong, but here we go. Here are some predictions for who is going to win their conference for the 2022 season and get a spot in the NCAA Championships.
Let's see how we do come the end of Spring and see how many we got right, and how many were not.
ACC: Duke Blue Devils
This was a tough choice. We know UVA is the team to beat, being back to back champions looking to make it a three peat this year. But, we think that Duke and their entire team gaining another year of experience without having to deal with that many missing pieces is a big deal. Especially with UNLTD athlete Joe Robertson leading the way. We predict that Duke is going to be the team to beat in the ACC this year.
America East: Vermont Catamounts
Vermont showed a lot of promise last year. Their biggest loss of the 2021 season was only by six goals, and that was to the third best team; Maryland. They are also returning almost everyone on their roster, gaining an extra year of experience to show up with. They also have a great coaching staff to help get the Catamounts to where they need to go.
ASUN: Air Force
This is a close race here in the ASUN. Some other teams we can see competing or taking the title home would be Detroit Mercy, or Robert Morris. All three of these teams are experienced from their coaching staff, down to their last player. Air Force is returning 4 of their top 6 scorers which is a big help for the Falcons. They are also returning many of their defensive starters, so it is going to be hard to net one against this Air Force team.
Big East: Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown looks to be a team on a mission this year. They are playing a very competitive non-conference schedule, to let the rest of the NCAA know that the Hoyas are coming for them. The addition of UNC defender Will Bowen, UNC midfielder Colin Munro, and Notre Dame attackman Connor Morin are all going to be a major help for this Hoyas roster, which already have probably the best midfield line in the country.
Big Ten: Maryland Terrapins
Maryland is a team that is going to stay on top, until they are taken down. John Tillman has had the Terps fine-tuned ever since he arrived in College Park, and this year is no different. They lose Jared Bernhardt, but they reload and now have Logan Wisnauskas taking control of the offense. Their goal is always to reach and win Memorial Day Weekend, let’s see if someone can stop them.
CAA: Drexel Dragons
Drexel has always been a team that you want to look out for. The Dragons are returning a lot of their starting offense, including leading goal scorer Aidan Coll, and points leader Sean Donnelly. That is going to help them big time as many of the other CAA teams are looking to reload their rosters and get their freshman some playing time.
Ivy League: Penn Quakers
I think everyone is excited to see Ivy League lacrosse return for a full season this year. The kids are going to be flying around and giving it their all. But, we think Penn becomes the last team standing here. Sam Handley is a monster of a player, being able to use both his size and physicality to separate from his defender and let the ball rip past the goalie will be a huge advantage for them.
MAAC: Marist Red Foxes
Marist is a team that is going to be on a mission this year. They had a similar situation to the Ivy League schools, where the administration would not let Marist participate in games because the student body’s Covid cases were too high. The Red Foxes are going to be looking to take down everyone and get their lost season back.
NEC: Hobart Statesmen
Hobart has been a team that is sneakily on the rise. They have had one of the best offenses in the last couple years. Fully revamping their play style has benefited the Statesmen tremendously. In just nine games this past season, Hobart scored a total of 110 goals. They were averaging 12.22 goals per game. This team can grip it and rip it, and that’s what we’re expecting from them again this year.
Patriot: Army Black Knights
Lehigh does have the team to make it to the Patriot League final, but Army is a team that has been there recently and knows what it takes to get the job done. Brendan Nichtern, and Aidan Byrnes coming back is going to be a huge help for this Army offense and team as a whole.
SoCon: Richmond Spiders
Last year was a bit of a rough year for the Spiders, but that is because they played a very tough schedule compared to what they are used to historically. They had three top 15 teams in their first 4 games, two of those teams being #1, and #2. They also later on in the year played #5 Virginia. That fourth game was against Towson so that isn’t much of an easy game either. Richmond wanted to earn their wins last year and it helped bring them in the right direction. We think Richmond gets back on track like their 2019 season and bring the SoCon trophy back home to Richmond, VA.
This is going to be an exciting season no doubt about it. Let us know your takes on who is going to win their conference in 2022!